MR WRONG
New Zealand, 1985, 88 minutes.
Heather Bolton, David Letch.
Directed by Gaylene Preston.
Mr Wrong is a thriller from New Zealand, co-written, produced and directed by Gaylene Preston. Director Geoff Murphy (Goodbye Pork Pie, Quiet World) contributed to the screenplay.
The film is a thriller about a haunted car. The focus is on a terrorised woman, well-played by Helen Bolton. The murderer of the dead owner of her car appears and threatens her. The film relies on atmosphere, suspense, some shocks.
An entertaining feature of a familiar genre.
1. An enjoyable thriller? The touch of the occult? The focus on the terrorised woman?
2. New Zealand Production values: the location photography, the atmosphere of the city, the house, the open road, the countryside? Music? Editing and pace for suspense, shocks?
score and atmosphere?
3. Title and its irony? Meg Alexander meeting Mr. Wrong instead of Mr. Right?
4. The film's focus on Meg Alexander? Seeing her buy her car, people's reactions to her having a Jaguar, her satisfaction in driving it home, drowsiness, the strange experience by the sea? The moaning in the car? Arrival home? Her nightmare and seeing Mary Carmichael? A premonition of what was to come? her scaring her as she c1eaned the car? The visit home, meeting her old friends? The return to the city? The rain, the level crossing, seeing Mary Carmichael, the man getting into the car? Her growing fears? His talk about hitch-hikers and danger? Her ordering him out? The empty tank which was full? Arrival home and the fright with Bruce? Her nerviness? Her work, her reading the paper, discovering the truth? Her meeting with Wayne in the country, his visits in the city? Her flat-mates and their concern? Her wanting to sell the car - and the concern about the woman with the dog, the rich man and the door not opening? At night at home, her apprehensiveness, the phone calls, Bruce, the man in the house - and the car horn blowing and saving her? Her blaming Mary Carmichael? Her eventually getting in the car? Racing the train? Wayne following her? Mr Wrong in the car, to the seaside, the threats, her escape, Mary Carmichael killing him? The car, going by itself and crashing? Her release?
5. The man in the car, his way of talking, the sinister murderer, his appearance? Frightening Meg? her putting the bin out? The roses? His watching the house? The phone calls? Stalking her in the house but by Mary Carmichael? in the car, the speech about the beauty of dying and the -irony of his absolute terror as he died? Ghost or real?
6. Mary Carmichael, her presence in the car and in Meg's dreams? The information from the papers? Her saving Meg and getting her revenge on her murderer?
7. Val and Sam, flat, friendship with Meg? Phone calls? Sam and her relationships with Bruce, with Martin?
8. Bruce and his being in the house, his menacing Hg, apologising? An opportunity for scares? The contrast with Wayne and his devotion, taking Meg out, arrival all helmeted on his motor bike? Pursuing Meg to save her?
9. The focus on the car, the salesman and his pitch (and refusing to buy it back)? The car and the drive, people's attention to it, Meg's boss and his disapproval? The gradual haunting of the car? Its being the means for the murderer's death? Destroyed?
10. The owner of the antique store, his responses to Meg, his relationships?
11. The perennial appeal of this kind of thriller? The touch of the occult? The terrorised woman? Heroics and self-reliance? The poetic justice or crimes and murderers? Vengeance?
